A Wrenching Story

Cutting carbon with vintage wheels

From her home in Terrebonne, Oregon, about twenty-five miles north of Bend, Laurie avails herself of our flexible scheduling system to have more time with her husband, who works 48 hours on and 96 hours off as a firefighter on the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs reservation.

When they’re not working, Laurie and her husband like to restore vintage bicycles, such as her “go-to-market bike,” a 1948 Westfield (pictured below). She calls herself an “apprentice wrench,” while her husband is a “master wrench.” The couple has become so known for their work that local people now leave bikes in their yard for them. The Thoms return the favor by giving free bikes to area kids and teens once they’ve fixed them up.

For Laurie, bicycles are both a fun hobby and a way to cut her environmental impact. She appreciates that working from home also contributes to that effort. “We try not to drive,” she says, “and we’ve tried to reduce our carbon footprint for years and years. This really reduces it.”